So the French for walnut is “noix”, which just means “nut”

Which begs the question: do they consider walnuts to be the most nut-like nut, the platonic, ideal nut?

Or did they just get bored naming all the others?

It's the same in Spanish

"nuez" = walnut
"nuez" = nut

And Italian. What's going on?

OK mind blown.

Walnut in English comes from the Old English "wealh" for foreign

So walnut literally means "foreign nut"

It's "foreign nut" in every European country where it is foreign

But not.... France and Italy! Because, as we have learned, there it's just a nut

I will leave you with Harlan Pepper naming nuts. Happy Sunday